Roof support for underground passageways



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June M, E a. F. .1. HABE ROOF SUPPORT FOR UNDERGROUND PASSAGEWAYS Filed Feb. 2, 1938 2 sheets-sheet'l Fig. 1 is a' vertical cross sectional view Patented June 21, 193

RQOF SUPPORT FOR UNDERGROUND PAS- I SAGEWAYS Frank J. Babe, Rim ersburg, Pm, assignor of onehalf to Eli Ra cusin, Rimersburg, Pa.

Application February 2, 1938, Serial No, 188,384 3 Claims. (CI. 61-45) The present invention relates generally to "roof supports for use in underground passageways and among other things for strengthening, in mines, the weakpoints in the slate stratum commonly underlying coal veins. The invention may be usefully employed'in various portions of a coal mine,

such-as an entry, corridor or narrow room, and has for its primary object the provision'of'a supportwhich will eliminate the space absorbing uprights commonly used in similar instances at present, and provide in lieu thereof means capable of convenient utilization as either temporary or permanent fixtures. 11; is well known that employment of the usual upright posts creates many disadvantages in mine passageways, especially narrow corridors and rooms since considerable space is taken up which might otherwise beemciently utilized, Furthermore, such uprights ordinarily constitute a dis- 20 tinct menace under such circumstances since they are subject to ready displacement through the derailing of cars and the like and} when displaced endanger workmen through the falling of'headers or supporting beams and portions'of the -pas-= sageway roof. The invention aims to do away with these disadvantages. g a

A further object of the invention is the provision of a device which. necessitates for its installation only those tools commonly at hand and does away with the necessity of special tools as well as other materials aside from the device itself. A still further object is the provision of a device of this character which may be readily and easily installed without requiring skilled me-, chanics or workmen for the purpose, as well as a device which is simple, lasting and effective and will be capable of reuse where it is employed for temporary purposes. i r

Referring now to the accompanying drawings whichform a part of this'specification and which illustrate the best mode so far devisedior carry ing the invention into practical eilect- I a -f a sist an underground passageway, showingmy provements in side view in effective position.

. Fig. 2- is a similar view through the upper portiononly of the pasageway, showing the anchor or supporting bars as initially set in wall bores.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the wedge strips driven into 'eii'ective position. i

. Fig. 4 is another similar view showing the.ini-

tialpositioning of the header or supporting 1 beam. v V

Fig. 5 is" a longitudinal sectional viewshowing the arrangement of several of the roof supports of the present invention in spaced relation in a series. v

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view through one of the wedged supporting bars, taken on line 5-6 5 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of the several parts 01' the device in slotted relation, and

Figs. 8 to 14, inclusive, are views respectively Y coinciding in character with Figs. 1 to 'l, inclusive, 10 showing an alternate form of header or supporting beam and seat blockstherefor.

Referring now to these figures and especially.

to Flgs. 1 to 4, inclusive, and a to 11, inclusive, an

underground passageway Ill, which may be a mine' entry, corridor, or narrow room, as for instance one of an over-all width which under present conditions would be unduly restricted by the use of supporting uprights or props where roof supporting headers or cross beams are necessary,

is shown with the usual vertical or approximately vertical side walls and the usual roof H, beneath the latter of which and as a support therefor it is desirable to use headers or cross supporting beams. as at it.

For the support of these beams i2 and to eliminate the neeessity for upright props or supports, the invention proposes the use of a pair-of generally cylindrical supporting bars or anchors it and it, each to be extended horizontally as indicated in Fig. 2, within conformable bores l5 formed in the side walls of the passageway at cal culated spacing below the roof ii.

Each of the bars it, i4, is provided with a tapering flattened side i&, and each is utilized with 5 a wedge strip H, which forms a mate with the flattened side it, and, after the bar has been positioned within its respective bore I15, maybe driven longitudinally into the bore along the flattened side of a'supporting bar as best seen in 40 Figs. 3 and" 6 to thus not only securely anchor the bar in the wall bore as instaccidental displacement therefrom but also'isecurely hold the same against rotation.

. ch of the bars i3, H is provided at one end with a polygonal head It and in securing the bar within the wall oi the passage as previously described, care is taken to see that a flat surface oi the polygonal head it is inhoriz'ontal position to receive thereon a seat block it for the supported of one end of theheaderor cross beam l2. Each seat block i8 is preferably provided with .a depending angular flange 20 to extend, downwardly along one side of the head l8 and laterany therebeneath, preferably as shown, to a bar ll may be'stationarily secured thereto by nails, rivets, bolts or the like or by welding. It is essential that one at least oi the seat blocks, however, be shiitable longitudinally of its bar. In the present instance, seat block IQ of bar it is so shown andis provided in the lower portion of its flange with threaded openings 2| for the reception of set screws, the latter serving to 'clamp the seat block at\a selectively adjusted point on the head I of the bar it.

' Thus after the barsil, i4 have been securely anchored by their wedge strips i1 within the wall openings or bores, the'seat block IQ of bar it is either moved, or if the bar sufllciently extends into the passageway the seat block may be shifted toward the wall on the bar to clear the head it. It the seat block is removed, according to the form of structure shown. in Figs. 1 to 7, inclusive,

it is placed on the baseoi the beam l2, the latter .in this instance being in the form of an I-beam and the seat block having upper flanges 23 overlapping the base flange of the beam. This position 01' the parts is for instance shown in Fig. 4, the beam being initially placed in position with one end on the head "of bar I4 so that when its opposite end is aligned with the seat block of the bar ii, the beam may be shifted lengthwise to enter its latter end within the seat block I! of bar 13. The seat block it of bar I 4 is then shifted lengthwise of the beam II and of the bar onto the head I! and clamped in position by means of the clamping screws 22.

The same procedure is carried out with the form of construction shown in Figs. 8 to 14, inclusive, which is similar in all respects to the construction previously described except that the headers or supporting beams are in the nature of heavy planks as shown at I! and, for this reason, the seat blocks 18! have upright .side flanges 24 instead oi the upwardly, inwardly angular flanges 23 of the seat blocks I9. Thus the beams or planks I 2? lying between the upright flanges 24, may be clamped by clamping screws through certain of the flanges 24 to thus avoid any possibility of accidental lengthwise gripping of the beams.

It is obvious from the foregoing that no especial skill is necessary ior the installation of the support oi this invention and that its installation necessitates but the boring of side wall openings and the turning ofclamping screws with the use of tools commonly at hand in mining and the like underground operations. It is to be particularly observed that other than the foregoing the in-- stallation involves merely the manipulation of the parts of the invention as described and avoids the necessity of anyadditional materials such as cement and the like which would tend to defeat reuse of the device. particularly where it was initially employed for temporary purposes only.

What'is claimed is:- i. A support for the roof of an underground passageway, comprising an intermediate rooi' supporting beam or header, a pair of anchor bars for extension into conformable wall openings of the passageway below its roof, the bars being arranged and opposed in aligned relation and having elongated tapering flattened sides and portions projecting into the passageway provided with polygonal heads, tapering wedge strips mating the flattened sides 01' said bars and when driven into the wall openings serving to securely hold the bars against accidental withdrawal or turning movements, beam holding seat blocks carried by the projecting headed ends of'the bars to receive thereon the ends of the supporting beam or header, having means to engage the supporting beam ends for preventing their accidental lateral displacement, each of said seat blocks having a lowerangular flange extending along one side and the bottom of its respective head, the free end of said flange projecting beyond the adlacent side of the head' to formbetween the same and its seat block a guide channel for the respective wedge strip, and one at least of said seat blocks being adjustable lengthwise of, and removable from, its respective supporting bar and provided with means for clamping the same in connection with the bar.

2. A roof support for underground passageways, including an intermediate supporting beam or header, a pair of supporting bars for extension within side wall openings of the pass'ageway below its roof and having longitudinally tapering flattened side portions, wedge strips of tapering form mating the flattened sides of the able therefrom, and means carried by the adjustable removable seat block to clampingly engage its bar as and for the purpose set forth.

3. A roof support for underground passageways, including an intermediate supporting beam or header, a pair of supporting bars for extension within side wall openings 01' the passageway below its root and having longitudinally tapering flattened side portions, wedge strips of tapering form mating the flattened sides of the bars and serving, when driven within the wall openings, to

'ing means to prevent lateral displacement of the latter, one at least of said seat'blocks being shiftable lengthwise .01 its respective bar and removable therefrom, and means carried by the ad- Justable removable seat block to clampingly engage its bar as and for the purpose set forth, each 01 said seat blocks including means forming a guide for the respective wedge strip.

FRANK J. HABE. 

